The Overpass
by T-Bisqit
Summary: Telling someone about his dreams was out of the question. The last thing they needed was another crazy person in the Hiwatari family. But Kai had to tell somebody or at least try and solve the mystery of their past. so far OzumaxTala...more later on R
1. Legend of 'The Warning'

**Disclaimer: I _do not_ own Beyblade...but imagine if I did...**

**Chapter One: Legend of 'The Warning'**

"Many years ago, this town we live in used to be a relatively large town called, _Hari._ Named this simply because it was such a fragile place, in the sense, spiritual beings were able to pass through to our world, from there, so easily. The fact that many human sacrifices had taken place in Hari didn't help much either"

"To reduce the amount of spirits, the village had a priestess who performed special rituals, daily. To do such, successfully, the priestess had to stay pure. In other words, she had to remain a virgin to keep the village safe. If she lost her _pureness, _the rituals would become useless.

"Without the rituals, the spirits would overpopulate the village destroying everything and everyone in their path. The villager's only answer would be sacrifice animals in order to save the village. The priestess strongly opposed to the unnecessary slaughter of animals so she agreed to the _law of purity._ She was nineteen at the time but still extremely powerful. Some people claimed she was able to posses any living creature's body-"

"What's a virgin?" A younger voice interrupted.

The two older boys rolled there eyes.

Anyways, as the years went by, the villagers noticed an increase in the number of accidents instead of an expected decrease. Sometimes it would be the other way around but either way everything was supposed to be stable. The problem being, that it wasn't.

"One day Selima, a red head from the village, went up to the shrine to see if the priestess had any idea about the sudden disturbance in Hari. Instead, when she arrived, she saw two pairs of legs-one female the other male- sticking out from underneath a pile of blankets scattered on the floor".

"Selima turned a shade of red, similar to her hair, when the faint sounds of moaning rose from under the sheets. There were two lumps under the blankets that seemed to be...bodies".

"With a mumbled apology, Selima ran from the shrine and headed straight home, hoping to forget the disturbing scene she had stumbled upon."

"When the priestess heard footsteps leaving the shrine, she knew they'd been caught. She eased herself away from the red-eyed man and ran a hand through her blonde hair, now damp from their _activities. _'What's the matter sweet cheeks?,' he had asked. In response, the priestess wrapped a robe around her naked body and paced around the room. Something was bothering her."

"The red-eyed man stood up and held the woman's shoulders in a tight grip so she couldn't move. There was something about his gaze unnerved her. It was as if his crimson orbs were burning through her flesh and into her soul. Now, the man's eyes were cold and his blue two-toned hair looked wild. 'Are you worried that someone may find out that you're not as perfect as you let on?', the man sneered.

The woman in his grip hung her head. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were blazing but at the same time, filled with tears. Quietly, she said. 'I'm worried about the consequences of my actions'. The grip on her shoulders suddenly tightened, loosened and then disappeared altogether. The priestess didn't bother to look up."

"Fully dressed now, the man whispered goodbye and left the shrine. The priestess slumped to her knees. She felt like crying but didn't. It was her own fault. She'd let that gorgeous man sweet talk his way into her quarters and on _more _than one _occasion. _

"Slowly, the priestess put herself in the meditative position and thought about what would become of the village. She had broken the_ law of purity_ and would have to suffer the consequences. But she had the rest of the day to think about that".

"About eight and a half months later, Selima went to visit the village priestess for the first time since the '_incident'. _She hadn't told anyone about it or had come in any contact with the woman".

"When Selima arrived, she heard the faint sound of heavy breathing. She was nervous at first but then stepped in a clear liquid that seemed to be coming from deeper inside the shrine. Then it occurred to Selima that the priestess had been pregnant! She had gone into labour and her water just broke".

"The red head was at her lady's side in an instant. The priestess was breathing heavily and her face was twisted in an expression of pain. When Selima told her that she needed to see a doctor, the blonde vigorously shook her head. The swollen stomach shook as well, causing the priestess to cry out".

"Eventually, Selima got the pregnant woman to change her mind. When the village doctors arrived, they were both worried and outraged that this was what had become of their priestess".

"Word of the sudden pregnancy had gotten around pretty quick and the village decided that after the priestess had given birth, she would be executed but the child would be spared. The priestess had broken the law of purity and would have to face the consequences, no matter how harsh they seemed".

"Finally after 22 hours of labour, the priestess gave birth to a beautiful blue eyed baby boy. She lay there _stroking _his mass of blonde hair and then thrust the baby into Selima's arms".

"_It was time for the priestess to die"_

"Selima tried to protest but the exhausted woman whispered to her that she was the _protector _and should watch over the baby carefully. That was the last time Selima ever saw the village priestess".

"Silently, they carried the woman off into the night. The blonde didn't try to kick or yell. She kept her face _neutral _until they brought her to the bridge. Then she let out a dry laugh and asked, 'Who's idea was this?' The same red eyed that had shared her bed only eight and a half months earlier, stepped forward with a lop-sided grin on his face, half expecting her to break down and cry."

"Instead, she smirked and spat in his face. Walking boldly, the priestess leaned close to his ear and whispered 'He has my eyes'. The man, obviously understanding what she meant, went red with rage and slapped her hard across the cheek. He demanded that the woman be thrown off the bridge immediately. Since no one was willing to do it, the red eyed man ended up pushing her over the railing himself".

"It was when she was falling that the priestess broke her silence. She kept shouting 'Three's the warning' all the way down. Then everything went quiet again. The village people cleared away from the bridge and returned to their houses."

"Back at the village, the baby in Selima's arms remained silent. He never cried for anything. However, a week after the death of the village priestess, a terrible scream ripped through the air, causing the baby to wake up and for the first time, the baby started to cry. When the scream died out, the baby's cries stopped".

"This left Selima puzzled but it left the rest of the village annoyed, especially the red-eyed man. He'd been even more annoyed the second time it happened, only a few days after the first scream. The sun was just setting when the priestess' killer went outside to track down the source of the irritating voice."

"The villagers insisted that he forget about it but, the man was very stubborn and wouldn't listen to them. He searched and searched until he unconsciously found himself back at the bridge, still empty-handed. Fifteen minutes into his search, the red-eyed man heard _it_."

"**The third scream."**

"The scream had sounded so close, almost as if it was right beside him. When the bridge beneath him began to give way, the man's own, voice joined the higher pitched one. The last thought he had was _'Three's the warning' _then, he was squashed like a bug from the impact of his fall."

"Meanwhile, at the village, the priestess' new born baby died in Selima's arms. As a matter a fact, right after the third scream died out, the baby boy abruptly stopped breathing and died of suffocation."

"In crooked letters, the words _'Three's the warning' _was inscribed on the infant's tombstone. No one knows how it got there and _no one_ questioned it either. They had _other _things to worry about."

"Taking this mystery as a sign of some sort, Selima vowed to be guardian over the bridge. She had no idea what it needed to be protection for but believed that the bridge was the gateway spirits used to cross over to _our world. _The villagers accepted this idea and rebuilt the bridge, at Selima's request."

"Since then, the numbers of deaths decreased but the deaths that did occur were, for some reason, more violent. Many say that Selima lived in a house not far from the overpass..."

"What a load of bullshit" A deep voice cut in. "Obviously you're trying to scare me. Everybody knows that the '_house not far from the overpass'_ is the house I live in, he added mockingly.

"Ask your, mother sometime. Maybe she's heard of Selima," the other boy suggested.

"Oh please, _Tala. _You don't actually believe in that crap about _'spirits' _do you?"

"Calm down,_ Oozi. _It's just a damn story."

"Do you believe it?"

"Maybe...and please don't swear around my little brother." Tala signaled his thumb towards the small figure beside him.

The '_little brother'_ snorted. "I'm not _that_ little ya know". His crimson eyes flashed in annoyance.

"Sorry kiddo, but being six years of age doesn't qualify as_ old _enough."

"Shut up Oozi!" Angered by the overuse of his nickname, the older boy grabbed a near-by pillow and whacked Tala's little brother with it.

_Well he tried to anyways._

The younger boy ducked just in time and countered the attack with his own pillow, catching the unprepared teen in the face. From the impact, the older boy flew backwards and landed heavily on the floor.

"Ozuma! Oh my god! Are you o.k.?" Tala's little brother stammered. Ozuma smiled from his spot on the ground. He held both hands to his head and managed to struggle out a sentence.

"_Damn_ Kai. You sure don't...you don't know your own strength."

With that, all three boys were thrown into a huge fit of laughter. When everything settled down, the boys crawled over to their sleeping bags to get a good nights rest. Ozuma was the first to be visited by the_ sandman. _Kai checked to make sure Ozuma was asleep before he asked, "What was the name of the priestess?"

Tala stifled a yawn. "Her name was Judy. Why?"

"No reason I just..."

"You scared?"

"No". Kai blushed.

Shaking his head in amusement, Tala turned on his side in the sleeping bag and tried to get some shuteye. Kai did the same. "Judy..." he whispered before he drifted off to sleep.

The Hiwatari mansion became silent once more and seemed to be at rest, seeing as all its inhabitants were in a deep slumber.

--------------

'**_Tis chapter one! It may seem a bit confusing at first but by...let's say...chapter 5 or 6? You should get a better understanding of the plot by then...if you don't already. Heck, I don't even understand the plot but hey! That doesn't mean I won't update! lol! Anyways...make sure to review!_**

'_**Till next time,**_

_**- T-Bisqit **_


	2. Resemblance

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblades…now on with the fic!**

**Chapter 2: Resemblance**

_Light footsteps padded towards the source of the noise. The sound of a baby crying drifted from a closed door at the end of the hallway. Slowly, a beam of light crept out from under it and the room, inside, went pitch black. A pale hand cautiously turned the doorknob and proceeded into the room. _

_The crying sounded louder now._

_While searching for the cause of the noise, a dark cloud appeared out of nowhere and phased through him in a rush to get out the door. The cloud washed over his pale skin causing the fine hair on his arms to stand on end. As he pondered on where the cloud might've come from, he noticed something odd about the room. It was silent._

_The crying had stopped._

_Suddenly, the room filled with a bright light, revealing a small crib in the middle of the room, partially covered by a curtain hanging from the ceiling. Dread took over every thought in his mind as he got closer and closer to the crib. Then, as if an unidentified force was controlling him, his arms reached out towards the crib. However, as he was about to pull back the blankets that covered the silent baby, _**his eyes snapped open**

His breath caught in his throat when he thought about what _was_ in that crib. Kai had always woken up with that dream fresh in his mind for as long as he could remember, even before his brother had told him that scary story. Kai believed that hearing it so frequently was why his nightmares continued to interrupt his siesta.

Apparently, the story was no ordinary tall tale, as occasionally used by parents to scare their children into submission with. It was a legend that'd been passed down for generations upon generations in their family. It was tradition to pass it down to younger Hiwataris, who would in turn pass it down to their children, their children's children, and so on. Tala often reminded him that their father used to repeat the story so often that their mother feared that Kai would be born with the tale tattooed on his forehead. Kai didn't remember much about his mother but hearing of such bizarre memories always brought her smiling face to mind.

Despite all this, telling someone about his dreams was out of the question. _Another_ crazy person in the Hiwatari family was the _last _thing they needed.

Even though he knew it was just a dream, Kai couldn't stop his mind from wandering back to the baby. He knew the baby had been dead. He remembered seeing the condition of the baby's skin. It was the type of discolouration only suffocation could cause. The most awful part of the dream was seeing the infant's large blue eyes, wide from dying in a deranged state of terror. They seemed to stare up at him in silent accusation. It was all too much.

Thankful for waking up when he did, Kai scrambled out of his sleeping bag and checked the clock for the time.

_The clock read 11:23pm._

Kai looked around only to find that he was the only person in the room. He checked the two doors across from him, hoping to find either Tala or Ozuma awake. The first room, where Ozuma normally resided in, was empty. '_Strange'_, he thought.

The second room revealed his older brother fast asleep under a large lump of sheets. Kai had to grin. The house was cold but not _that _cold. It was certainly an amusing sight. The sheets even seemed to be bobbing but Kai dismissed it as a result of his own fatigue. He was seeing things. Besides, Tala had his legs wide open. Maybe he was having a peculiar dream of some sorts. His expression sure said so. Shaking his head, Kai turned from the room.

"Fine, I'll go alone" He muttered, closing the door and continued walking down the hall.

He paused for a second as a dry cough escaped his throat. It felt like his mouth was stuffed with cotton. He was _so_ thirsty!

Figuring that going through the private gallery was the fastest way to the kitchen, that's where Kai headed.

The truth is it wasn't really much of a gallery. It was more like a back hallway that hadn't been used by anyone, for years. The Hiwatari mansion is an antique, Victorian style residence valued at over 600 million dollars, U.S. It used to be a castle built some six or seven centuries ago. Every Hiwatari occupant found his or her own unique use for the massive manor. Because of this, it also carried quite a violent history.

For example, some time during the 17th century Queen Lativia Hiwatari created a chamber located in the basement portion of the mansion for the sole purpose of torture. Her room of torment, universally known as 'The Poke', had held prisoners during war, thieves, murderers and eventually her late husband Orlov Hiwatari. Long story short; Orlov was caught cheating on Lativia. The Queen was hurt but mostly angry, instantly ensuring a slow and agonizing death for her husband. Oh and as a little afterthought, the first thing Queen Lativia did was give cheating King Orlov her own personal twist on a classic male vasectomy. Enough said.

The years of the 1870's was the time when extreme chef Vitali Hiwatari took reign. Not only was he famous for his exceptional work in the kitchen, but he was also known to have the most wives in the history of royalty. Eighteen wives, nineteen wives, sometimes the number got as high as thirty-two. His first wife, Queen Sonja, wasn't too happy with the additional female members that were taking over her household. It was disgraceful how he made wives out of women as young as fifteen years old. He was also a bit of a mad man.

For years the Queen tried to ignore it but lately it had been getting worse. Bras and panties continued to shower the stairways after every one of her husband's Saturday night parties.

Half a decade later, she decided that enough was enough. She would leave him. She would take their only son, six-year-old Vidal, and move in with her sister, currently living in the Ukraine. She would ignore Vitali when he insisted that none of the women could bare him a child because in all those marriages they were required to have their tubes tied. She would forget she ever loved him.

Then in 1869, an exact 365 days before Vitali's cuisine hit big on the market, Queen Sonja and Vidal left without a word. No 'goodbye', no 'good luck' or even a lousy, 'It's for the best". Nothing at all.

The years that followed seemed to drag on for the King. It seemed that the more successful he became, the more unhappy he was. Suddenly the money held no meaning and neither did the twenty-plus wives he had in the house. Mysteriously, their numbers began to drop. Soon he was down to only thirteen wives.

During the hour he spent in front of the market place every morning promoting his cooking, Vitali often imagined he was someone else. Imagined that one day he would look into the crowd and see Sonja and Vidal smiling, proud to see what he'd accomplished in the past couple of years. During the hour he spent in front of the market place every morning promoting his cooking, Vitali was disappointed. He was becoming more miserable.

One maid reported that the King hardly slept at all. She was sometimes kept awake at night by distant screams coming from one of the larger kitchens downstairs. But every time she went to check, Vitali was quietly cooking away, dissolved in his work. He was always up in the kitchen cooking.

She also noticed that the more depressed Vitali grew, the more of his wives disappeared and the better his food became. Even stranger, he'd fired all of the kitchen staff so that he could be alone to cook and when invited to prepare food in front of the townspeople, he never allowed anyone to see how he prepared the meat. Vitali claimed to have secret recipes stored in a book he'd handwritten himself, safe inside the house.

Naturally, a reporter was able to bribe one of the remaining six wives. They found the secret recipe book. It contained the names of all the missing women and the various ways Vitali used to cook them. The only explanation Vitali offered after being taken into custody by the authorities was that he yearned for something different. He'd wanted to create food so good that people couldn't help but wonder, "Why haven't I come across this sooner?"

Kai understood how Vitali must have felt, generating success after success and having no one to appreciate it. Being loved one minute and hated the next. Of course Kai would never consider committing suicide, as Vitali had only six months after being charged with manslaughter. It always caused more pain to the loved ones that were thoughtlessly left behind.

'_Enough of that', _he thought. _'Now where is that passage?'_

Knowing there were _other _kitchens, and ways to get to them, there was simply no point in using that particular path to get to the kitchen. However, Kai simply wanted an excuse to walk through the abandoned passageway.

The real reason Kai wished to go through that hallway was so that he could get a better look at his ancestors. Hearing those stories always made him wonder. Tala, worried as always, warned Kai about looking at figures of the past. Tala said things like "You may find out something you either don't want to know or shouldn't know". There were times when his brother's words resembled a threat but Kai thought nothing of it. Tala was merely concerned about his '_baby brother's_'safety. Truth be told, Kai didn't know why he wanted to see the photos so badly either but it was an itch he'd been trying to scratch for days now.

On both sides of the corridor, past members of the Hiwatari family hung undisturbed on the wall. The gold frames surrounding them glittered whenever the scented candle in Kai's hand shone in their direction.

Kai watched in amazement as the eyes in the pictures on the wall seemed to morph all the way down the line. The first male in the Hiwatari family had eyes so dark they looked black. As the years went on, eye colour changed from black to a dark brown, to a light brown, to a mixture of reddish brown. There were a few reds, none matching his colour, and then…

Kai stood frozen, staring at the photos on the farthest end of the family gallery on the wall. It was a portrait of a man Kai seemed positive was his grandfather, even though the photo held a man nearing his late twenties.

The man had crimson eyes, dark and assessing. His skin colour was of a pale and slightly creamy complexion. The old-fashioned attire he sported looked of the highest quality and appearance. What spooked Kai out the most was the colour of the man's hair.

It was a soft blue in the front and a dark blue in the back, _two-toned. _

Kai's hands automatically shifted to the mass of blue on his head. If Kai didn't know any better, he'd say that the man in the portrait was hisfuture self. With a shake of his head, Kai told himself that the youth in the picture was simply his grandfather, hence the heavy resemblance.

The clock read 11:34pm

It's**_ been a while since I last updated but I hope y'all will forgive me and enjoy this chapter…_**

_**Till next time,**_

_**-T-Bisqit**_


	3. It Went Bump In The Night

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblades…now on with the fic!**

**Chapter 3: It Went Bump in the Night**

'_Of course that's why we look alike', _Kai forced the thought to stay down. '_This man must be my great grandfather…that explains everything'. _And it had for a while until he allowed his mind to wander back to the story that had been repeated only an hour earlier. What had his brother referred to the character as? The 'red-eyed man', wasn't it? That sounded about right.

Kai paced the floor, raking a shaky hand through his hair. After every ten seconds in his pacing, Kai glanced ever so slightly at the wall of pictures. Then Kai stopped pacing completely. He shone the candle upwards to further examine the portrait that significantly resembled himself. Kai took in the eyes, the hair, and the pale complexion. He stared hard at the date printed on the corner of the golden frame and said it aloud. '_Why?' _he wondered, '_Why do these numbers sound familiar?' _By the time Kai figured it out, his breath was coming out in short gasps.

"Be calm", he whispered to himself but shuddered just the same. His eyes would have remained glued to the ancestral wall if it hadn't been for his need to blink. The boy quickly turned his crimson orbs away and redirected his thoughts to his scratchy throat. He desperately wanted a drink of water but in order to do that he must first find the kitchen. There was one problem though; his paranoia was standing in the way of just that.

Well sure, the dates neatly printed on his great grandfather's portrait matched the time period of Tala's story and sure, his great grandfather, whom he bared a heavy resemblance to, matched the description of the culprit of Hari, but that didn't mean anything, right? It was just a story. Besides, Kai would be seven in a few days and would be damned if he let a little tall tale get the best of him. '_Yeah. It's only a legend that had been passed down for generations and that everyone in his family seemed to believe in', _his mind bit back.

Suddenly desperate to leave, Kai walked backwards, retracing his steps. Taking a shortcut is always nice but if his paranoia was so easily stirred by the couple of old family portraits, he would gladly pass. Slate hair swirled as he turned unsurely towards the gallery exit. With a sinking feeling in his stomach and a troubled sigh deep in his throat, Kai walked through it. Unfortunately for him it was still quite a walk to the Hiwatari kitchen.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Tala shifted so Ozuma could resurface. Both boys were panting heavily but Tala was in the worst condition. He was tired, nervous, angry and turned-on, all at the same time.

Before Kai's intrusion, they were in the middle of a heavy make-out session, Ozuma on top and Tala underneath. Upon hearing his younger brother approach, the redhead panicked. Without thinking, he shoved his friend under the covers, hoping to conceal what they'd been doing. Luckily it worked but it also put Tala in a very awkward position.

Tala had to leave his legs open for that spontaneous plan to work (there had to be space for Ozuma to slide under the sheets). What he hadn't anticipated however was where his best friend would land. Ozuma ended up with his head on Tala's legs and his hands dangerously close to the redhead's groin. All while Kai was in the room, Tala struggled to remain pokerfaced. It was difficult to feign sleep with Ozuma's hot breath on his thigh and roaming hands on his lower half.

"Oozi", Tala hissed, "What the fuck was that all about?"

Ozuma batted his eyelashes in response. "I thought you'd like it. As a matter a fact…I _know_ you liked it". Tala knew he was referring to the bulge in his pants. Had it still been there, Tala might have felt embarrassed. He was in the clear for now.

Realizing why his best friend was so angry, Ozuma changed his tone. He decided it was best to lose the seductive connotation...for now.

"Look, this is my fault, okay? I just wanted to have a little fun…an…and I know you don't want your little bro finding out and all…" He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry".

Tala smiled at Ozuma's sad attempt to apologize, knowing that the other boy hated saying those meticulous words. They'd been friends since early childhood, and each knew the other like the back of their hand. In fact, Ozuma had been the only one to listen to Tala, when the restless boy had expressed his anxieties about becoming a 'big brother'. To that, Ozuma had scoffed and said, "Look, you live in a mansion, your mother is due pretty soon, your daddy's run off to God knows where, your set to inherit a shitload of money and you have to skip school every couple of days to help out, _of course _you're stressed out! But remember that if you break down now, everything and everyone goes down with you. You're the foundation for this family now. Dude, I know your only eight years old but _grow the fuck up! _"

Needless to say, there had been no more questions after _that_ solid piece of advice. Being only a year older and having gone through some tough times himself, Ozuma knew what he was talking about when he gave his opinion. Although Tala had always opposed to Ozuma's overuse of certain words in his colourful vocabulary, he supposed his best friend couldn't help it. From a young age, Ozuma had been exposed to the harsh realities of life (most of which some don't learn until they reach their teens). His father had been a drunk and worked in a mineshaft. It was a surprise if the man had gone more than a sentence without saying _fuck_, _cunt _or even less likely, both. His mother, a meek and quiet woman (the sort that didn't complain if their husbands broke a limb or two) had disappeared over four years ago.

"Meh, I think I turned out okay", was always Ozuma's reply when his best friend asked about his rotten childhood (as he himself so often put it). "Besides, I doubt I woulda had any wisdom to pass on to you otherwise. Some pussy you woulda turned out to be, eh?" Tala rolled his eyes as the memory resurfaced.

Tala: _Yeah, some wisdom. If his idea of wisdom was shoving a four-year-old into a lake to teach him to swim…_

He would gladly pass.

Another Voice: _Now wait just a goddamned minute. Your brother had on floaters and you know it. Oh, that's right, you weren't wearing your bifocals that time…_

Ozuma interrupted mockingly.

Tala half-scowled at the comment. Because of astigmatism, Tala had been forced to wear glasses for a couple months (_more like a whole year!_, Ozuma added). Bifocals were the quickest and most effective way of correcting it. Period. However, during those 'four-eyed-times' his near-vision had become disgustingly impaired. So yes, he had had a bit of trouble determining whether or not his brother would sink to his death. His vision hadn't been _that _bad though_…_

_Yuh were a blind bat, _Ozuma continued.

_Oh shut up, Oozi,_ Tala thought reluctantly, knowing the older boy was right. _And stay out of my thoughts!_

_You know I cant do that, _he purred back.

_Oh God! _Tala shook his head vigorously. He didn't need another one of _those_ episodes.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

To ease his mind, Kai pretended that he was on his way to visit his Great-uncle (I'm sure more 'Greats' are necessary but, no matter...) Vitali. He imagined that the skilled chef, cooking with _animal meat_ this time, was preparing one of his greatest dishes yet and Kai would be the first to try it. Vitali would teach him how to cook a delicious but simple-to-make meal. This way Kai might have a chance at matching up to Tala, who was an excellent cook, by the way.

Although he didn't remember her, Kai figured that Tala cooked the way their mother would have, had she still been alive. The boy had an amazing passion for the kitchen…and food. What stood out most about his older brother (on the subject of cooking) was that he tended to get very emotional in the kitchen. There had been a time when Kai had snuck into the kitchen to steal a piece of cookie dough and instead was greeted with the sight of Tala crying over a flawless specimen of Kisel pie. Kai had dipped his finger into the dried berry and molasses filling, telling his brother that it tasted perfect but the older boy only clung to it tightly saying, 'Mom's was better than perfect. It'll never be like hers'. 'Cooking was Tala's way of getting close to their mother', Ozuma often said. Since then, Kai waited _outside _the kitchen when his older brother was cooking.

_Click, clack, click, clack. _The echo of his shoes jerked Kai out of his thoughts. His footsteps sounded so small and hollow in the hall. The empty sound unnerved him a bit. Impulsively, Kai increased his gait. He began walking faster and faster, fearing that he wouldn't make it in time.

'_In time for what?' _his mind jeered.

'_Before I shit my pants from scaring myself?' _he sneered back.

Kai smiled at that one. Humour always cheered him up even if it was for the moment temporary. By the time he had reached 'the passage', the story, as well as the 'red-eyed man', were long forgotten. He had forced himself to think of more pleasant thoughts and being one who loved organizing things, Kai rehearsed in his head, the contents of the Hiwatari household's four-door refrigerator.

The passage leading to the kitchen was dark and narrow, causing the soon-to-be-seven-year old to feel nervous. He was starting to wish that he had taken Tala or Ozuma with him. Who cares that they'd been asleep? Kai didn't want to admit it but hallways, especially ones such as this, often made him feel claustrophobic. The bronze stripes of the wallpaper appeared to be clawing in his direction, folding their long spindle-fingers over his head as if clasped in prayer. On top of _that_, it was so dark! The corridor seemed to engulf the candle flames with its shadows…but still, Kai carried on.

"Three packs of sliced turkey breast, six heads of lettuce, four sets of Mozzarella cheese blocks…" he listed. _Almost there. I'm more than halfway through._

WW-WWWHHHH-HOOOOOO-OOOOSSS-SSHHHHH

A gust of air rushed past him.

At night, the mansion was usually kept heated but this particular passage remained chilly. Oddly enough, tonight was cooler than normal. Kai shuddered, his mind racing. Something was wrong. Cold weather had never bothered him before so why was his body shivering like this? Kai fought the thoughts creeping in. His eyes widened. There was _no_ way he was actually shaking with fear. Nope. Nuh-uh. Not this soon-to-be-seven-year old. But that's exactly what it was.Kai was afraid with a capital _F-E-A-R _and it was this same _F-E-A-R _that led him to believe that for the past two minutes or so, someone had been following him.

Summoning his last ounce of courage, Kai swiftly turned to look behind him and into the darkness of the passageway he had long since left behind.

Nothing was there.

_The clock read 11: 52 pm. _

Then there was a terrible pressure. It wasn't an immediate heaviness but more or less felt as if a large object was headed his way; sort of like the aftermath of a train passing through a station.

The feeling of another presence in the corridor stayed with Kai as he broke into a run, not really paying attention as to where he was going. He ran blindly, flame flickering wildly and all, but somehow managed to find the kitchen door. _Final destination. _Alas, in his struggle for the knob, the candle fell out of his grip and Kai felt a batter of bitter hopelessness. It clinked loudly on the ground. Everything became pitch-black. _This is much more horrifying than inside the passageway. _

Taking a deep breath, Kai counted back slowly from ten, and continued his struggle with the kitchen door. He found the knob again only to realize that the door had been locked.

Kai kept turning the knob uselessly. He was truly frightened now. The kitchen door was supposed to be open. There'd been specific orders for the maids _not_ to lock the kitchen door. It was a safety precaution or something like that. _It was NEVER locked!_

Kai suddenly felt dizzy. He took another deep breath and counted back from ten to calm himself, but to no avail. It was _F-E-A-R _again. He was afraid.

Then, without knowing it Kai's brain reverted back to something Tala had told him a while ago. _When found in a difficult situation close your eyes, take a breath and analyze. _"Okay", Kai said in a shaky voice, "Analyze…then panic. Okay so…I'm alone in the kitchen hallway. I got here by using the exact passage I was told not to, or at least not to use _by myself_ and I've dropped my only source of light. Everybody is sleeping, there's a possibility that 'something' is following me…a-an-and I may have pissed myself-"

Kai's thoughts were cut short when an abrupt chill racked his small frame. The atmosphere around him suddenly thickened and the temperature went _way_ down.

"Oh, fudge"

His current feeling of apprehension quickly changed into a well-recognized sense of danger. The dense air wrapped itself around Kai's slender neck like an arm; severing what little oxygen his lungs had been taking in. He tried to call out for help but in his present position, his voice box would only allow him to gasp pathetically.

The thickening ambiance tightened its hold on the boy's windpipe and before he could even put up a fight, Kai lost consciousness.

_The clock read 11:59 pm._

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**Geez. A year is wayyyy too long. Or at least I **_**think **_**it has been a year. Anyways I would have updated sooner if I hadn't taken so long to type and re-edit everything. Shame on me, eh? Well… ENJOY!!!**

**T-Bisqit **

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NOTE 

**- Kisel** is a type of traditional Russian dessert. It's a kind of jelly made from dried berry fruit, molasses and milk.

- I don't know if the thing about astigmatism and bifocals is true…it sounds like it could be though.


	4. Down Memory Lane

**Sorry for the long wait guys!!**

**This chapter contains some Ozuma x Tala…just a little warning so you guys know. Its nothing extreme just some light/fluffy yaoi.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblades…now on with the fic!**

**Chapter 4: ­­­­­­­­Down Memory Lane**

Tala stroked Ozuma's mass of black hair, threading his fingers through the streak of red that ran down the center of his head. On more than one occasion he'd attempted to get the older boy to dye his hair all black but it was always in vain. Ozuma would laugh and say in that smartass way of his, "Afraid of a little competition for the title of Red Queen?" Tala would then join in the laughter and drop the subject all together. Red Queen was a bittersweet topic for both of them.

About a year ago on Tala's thirteenth birthday, Ozuma's sister Mariam had arranged a little get-together. Someone –to this day Tala's convinced was Kai –had planned to have him kidnapped and brought to the house for a party. At the time of the attack, Tala had been sunbathing down by Hiwatari Beach; suddenly a potato sack was thrown over his head and a needle plunged into his forearm. Then upon his arrival to the party, someone –Tala's convinced was Kai –thought it fitting to use water to rouse one from chemically induced slumber. Tala remembered quite clearly how he'd squealed as the ice-cold liquid hit his bare back.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

"Look Mariam, he's a squealer", a voice remarked.

At this point Tala was seething with anger and just about ready to curse when:

"HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY TALA HIWATARI!!" –Four voices shouted in unison.

Holding up a magnificently decorated cake was Mariam, Ozuma, Kai. Even Ozuma's father had taken part in the celebration. The miner sat in the corner, party hat neatly atop his head, adding birthday bows to the gifts. The sight was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Ozuma caught the look and moved closer to give Tala a birthday hug.

"Aww, don't worry 'bout it bud, you can thank us later. Umm Tala? Uhh… what are you doing Tala…ahh fuck! Fuck! What was that for?!"

Tala gracefully removed his fist from his best friend's stomach and replied, "I. Am. Not. A. Squealer".

"Alright, alright. Shit, Tala…" Ozuma wheezed.

That earned a laugh from everybody in the room. Tala laughed too.

"Oh don't you worry, Hiwatari. I'll get you back later".

Despite Ozuma's seriousness, the newly-turned-teen ignored the threat.

8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

At a quarter past six when all the food was eaten and all gifts had been opened, Mariam gave Tala and Ozuma two free passes to the movie theatre.

"Now you boys go on and get changed. I'll clean up here".

Five minutes later, Ozuma emerged from his room clad in baggy blue jeans and a close-fitting green tee. His school bag hung from his left shoulder.

"Sis, Tala didn't bring any extra clothes…we kinda kidnapped him half-naked ya know".

Mariam gave her brother an evil smirk, "Oh don't you worry I picked out a little something _for _him. I'll be right back".

Ozuma chuckled at his sister's antics.

She made her way around the hallway corner hollering, "Oh Talaaaaaaaah! I've got the cutest outfit for youuuuuuuu –"

As time ticked by, Ozuma became more and more convinced that they wouldn't make it to the theatre before nightfall. _What's taking them so long? _He whined to himself.

No sooner had he thought it did Mariam and his best friend appear- or at least what_ had_ been his best friend.

The new Tala had straight red hair, a little past his shoulders, a loose pink blouse (matching belt included) and black skinny jeans. Ozuma left his mouth open for a couple seconds before: 

"Dude, you look like a fucking chick!"

"Pretty hot, huh?" Mariam said proudly.

Ozuma turned to his sister and screamed, "You turned my best friend into a fucking chick!"

The redhead scowled at the siblings. "Would you shut up please? I don't like this either but its one of the conditions for the free passes". Ozuma shot him a look that said he needed an explanation.

"It means you have to be a couple", Mariam provided.

There was a bit of awkward silence before Ozuma spoke up in a matter-of-fact tone, "Well, you do look pretty hot, Tala, I gotta admit. Mariam you've really outdone yourself this time".

His sister beamed at the compliment. "Hehe. Well of course I did. Now run along and have fun you two. Don't worry about Kai I'll keep him with me 'till y'all get back. Oh and Tala? Make sure not to touch your eyes too much it might smear the mascara. Now go, go, go!"

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

On the walk to the movie theatre: "You really let my sister put mascara on you?"

"Don't start Oozi"

"Okay, okay. But…you got on eye shadow too?"

Tala sighed, "Yupp. That I do"

The awkward silence set in again before, "Do you really think I look hot?"

Ozuma smirked at that one. He snaked an arm around the birthday boy's waist. "Are you kidding me? Of course I do. Man, if you were a girl I'da fucked you already".

They both laughed and Tala blushed. Although both boys were always making jokes like that with each other, tonight it felt…different.

When they arrived at the front ticket both a woman with strange blue hair took their passes. As she handed back the ticket stubs she said, "Here you go lovebirds. Red Queen is an excellent choice. Enjoy the show". Then she winked at Tala, "I see you're a fan".

When they were seated inside the theatre Tala asked, "Uhh. What did that lady mean? Is Red Queen about a thirteen-year-old red-headed crossdresser?"

"Shh. The movie is about to start", Ozuma hissed instead of answering his question.

Needless to say Red Queen was _not _about a teen crossdresser, although the main character did have red hair. It was focused on Sandra, the zombie slayer who unfortunately fell in love with a zombie named Joel. What made Joel different from other zombies was that he had a will of his own. In order to free Joel from the bondages of zombism, Sandra would have to kill one hundred zombies subsequently –one after the other or else her love would be doomed to remain one of the undead forever. It was pretty cheesy but had plenty of gore just the way Ozuma and Tala liked it.

The teens came out of the theatre laughing like maniacs. Tala clutched his sides for fear they would split.

"Oh my god! Did you see the way that guys eyes exploded when Sandra cut off his head?"

Ozuma nodded, "Or when -or when she sliced open that pregnant zombie's stomach and said 'That abortion was free'"

"Hahaha that was insane!" Tala agreed.

Their laughter died down when they noticed the ticket lady from earlier staring at them.

"You know, you look a lot like that Red Queen chick. ", she said to Tala, "Which is a compliment considering how pretty she is. You a model or something?"

"Uhh…I'm a boy…" was all Tala said and walked off with Ozuma cackling hysterically behind him. Neither bothered to look back at the woman's shocked face.

When Ozuma had calmed down enough to speak he quipped, "That lady must be _pissed. _She got JACKED!"

Tala chuckled, "I guess I really _can_ pass for a girl".

"Uhh, ya think? Hahaha"

They made their way to the city park and lay under the largest tree. Taking in the view of the star-speckled sky. Tala asked furtively, "Hey Oozi, you got any alcohol?"

Ozuma punched his best friend lightly in the shoulder, "I thought you'd never ask".

He retrieved two bottles of what he called 'birthday booze' from his knapsack. Tala took a sip from his and coughed. "Whoa, Ooze, what the hell is this?"

"Just a special mix for the birthday boy"

"Lemme taste yours". The redhead grabbed his friend's bottle and frowned, "Dude, yours isn't even close to how strong mine is. Any reason for that?"

"Mmm…no, not really", Ozuma hummed, "I gotta make sure we get home safely for one though. And two, since it's your birthday, I figured it would be okay if _you _were the intoxicated one".

"Whatever". Tala rolled his eyes and took another sip.

Halfway through the bottle, Tala got drunk.

Ozuma on the other hand was only _slightly _tipsy. His liquor had barely touched the surface of his mind, but was still feeling good, not to mention nervous for what he was about to do.

"Redshh Queen, Redishh Queenie", the birthday boy sang drunkenly. "Hey Oozi…I thinkah I know why ticketshlady thought I wassh Red Queenie...its cuzzah muh red hairssh".

Ozuma struggled to contain his laughter. "It can't just be that. Maybe she also thought you were beautiful".

Tala scoffed, "Pshh. Me? Beauterfull? Hahaha. Me? Pshh…you muss belind Oosh. If I'm sho beauterfull how come I dun got a Redshh Queen, myshelf?"

Ozuma shifted closer. "Oh, Tala, you don't need a queen".

"Pshhwhy? Not beauterfull enough?"

The older boy pressed up against his best friend and whispered into his ear, "You already have a king".

Tala hiccupped, "Oosh whateryoo talkssh about –" But his words were cut off by soft lips. Ozuma leaned back from the kiss only to see Tala's bewildered eyes.

"Oo-oo-oozi?" he stammered.

Ozuma lowered his eyes to the ground. "Look, I know –I know it was wrong for me to get you drunk just so I could do this. The truth is I probably wouldn't have had the guts if you were sober…you know in case I pissed you off real bad and stuff…I just –I just wanted you to know", Ozuma swallowed nervously and stared into the eyes of his best friend as he said, "That I love you. And –and I have been in love with you for a long while. Why I picked today out of all days to tell you this still is a mystery to me but…I'm just happy to get it off my chest. If you wish to punch me now, though you'll probably miss, feel free".

Tala blinked his eyes slowly as if to absorb this new information in that manner. "You-yoo, love me Oozi?" He repeated the mantra as he wrapped his arms around the older boy. "You l-love me Oozi…and you n-never t-told me?"

The older boy returned the hug, enjoying the other's body warmth. "I wasn't sure how you'd react –"

"Washn't shure how I'd react? I thoughtchoo knew I loved y-you too!"

Ozuma felt as though his heart would burst with happiness as the younger boy spoke the magic words. He loved him back.

Tears streamed down Tala's face as he repeated the words, "I love you too". He gave a drunken burp before he continued, "I jush wish I washn't sho smashed". Ozuma laugh came out choked when he tried to express his amusement at that comment.

"Now I know you'll want to keep this a secret from your brother which is fine with me and quite possibly your remaining family –good Lord, your family! If there isn't an heir to the Hiwatari franchise what'll happen to the major corporations? What about tradition? What about –"

Tala's lips on his silenced any further paranoid inquiries the older boy had about their future.

"I'll crossh that road when I get to it"

"Uhh…you mean bridge, right?"

"Oh shushhh", came the drunken reply.

Out of all the gifts Tala had gotten that evening for his birthday, he enjoyed Ozuma's the best; thirteen kisses and a 'french to lift a bench'.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

"Hey aren't you gonna sleep?"

The soft-spoken question nudged the redhead out of his thoughts, "Huh?"

"As relaxing as you massaging my scalp is, I'd rather it wasn't at the expense of your sleep time".

The older teen had been curled up in his lap and soundly asleep for the last twenty minutes. In all that time Tala had been rubbing his scalp affectionately. He'd lulled the older boy to sleep without even realizing it.

"Oh, don't worry about it", Tala yawned, "I'm okay…just taking a walk down memory lane".

"Uhh…you mean stroll, right?"

"Oh shush", came the tired reply. Tala kissed the older boy's lips lightly.

"I was remembering the day you declared your undying love for me", the redhead said in a mock dramatic tone.

"Yeah and half a bottle of liquor got you _gone_".

"Hey, that was very potent alcohol you made me drink"

"Yeah, uh-huh. Excuses, excuses. Your just soft, my friend".

Tala stuck out his tongue in response. "Oh real mature there, buddy…anyways what were you thinking?

Leave it to Ozuma to figure when there was an ulterior motive to his reminiscing.

"I dunno. I just can't help thinking that there was someone watching us. I can't remember what they looked like but I think it was a female…"

Ozuma sighed, "One of my old girlfriends, maybe? Tala it was a _public_ park. Anyone can be in a public park. And since we weren't in a _private_ place _anyone_ could have seen us".

Tala frowned. He hated when Ozuma talked to him like he was stupid. "I _know_ it was a public park, Oozi, but it was also very close to midnight. No one should be out at that hour –"

"Including us?" The older boy cocked an eyebrow.

"No, no, there seemed to be something weird about this lady. Arg, everything is blurry. I guess I was too drunk"

Seeing that the lapse in his memory was truly troubling him, Ozuma tried to comfort him.

"Hey maybe," Ozuma shifted so that he was hovering above Tala, "if we replayed the scene a bit your memory would clear up".

"Okay…" The redhead said unsurely, not quite catching on to what the older boy was suggesting. That is until he felt the hot breath on his throat then,

"Oh. Mmm I see where you're going with this…but I believe _I _was on top".

"As if". _Kiss._

"Damn. I thought I had you there". _Nibble._

"Remember _you _were the drunk one". _Lick. _

The kissing and caressing went on for several minutes. When the feeling of his pajamas bottoms being pulled down finally registered in Tala's brain it was already too late to protest, however, he tried anyways, "Uh hey…Oozi…I don't exactly remember _this_ happening".

"That's cause it didn't, Red"

Tala shivered at the use of the nickname. It sounded so seductive coming from his best friend's lips.

"M-maybe we should uhh", He struggled to find the right word, "Wait or something…"

"It's not like I'm taking your virginity, Red. I just wanna mess around for a bit"

"W-wait!" Tala yelped as Ozuma opened his mouth wide. He had to think of a way to divert the older boy's attention, but how…

At that instant, Tala didn't have to think of anything because a blood-curling scream ripped through the air. Its intensity seemed to shake even the foundations of the Hiwatari mansion.

"Kai!" Both boys shouted in unison.

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**Yupperz! **

**That was the latest chapter. It wasn't in the original storyline but I wrote it to establish the relationship between Tala and Ozuma and show just how close they are (winks). **

**Anyways, if I get good reviews for this one I'll continue to update…and I may just update anyways just to get it out of my system. (giggles)**

**Also, I hope you guys could understand Tala's drunken speech. I tried to make his words slur but uhh it kinda looks like gibberish. Hehe. **

**Later guys. Hope you enjoyed this one!!!**

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**NOTE: Yeah I used 'french to lift a bench' instead of 'pinch to grow an inch'. Its pretty lame but I thought it was cute. Hehe. **


	5. Heart of the City

**I'd like to send a special thank you to all of those who read my story so far and were kind enough to review…and here it is:**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS AND GALS!!**

**And I sincerely apologize for my disgusting updating habits…I'm very slow as you can see ( ')**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblades…now on with the fic!**

-8-8-8-8-8-8-

**Chapter 5: Heart of the City**

Ozuma closed Kai's room door and gave Tala the thumbs down sign.

"He's not in there. Maybe he went for a potty break?"

The redhead frowned. Both of them knew how unlikely that prospect was. Kai had a bladder like iron. He never got up in the nighttime to pee.

"What direction did it come from?" Tala asked as he slipped on a robe.

"How should I know? …Downstairs probably", Ozuma grumbled, still annoyed that they'd been interrupted when they were.

Tala ran to the staircase. To his left was a gray box. He opened it and lifted the telephone off its receiver. He then punched in the number for the Head Maid.

"Hilary! Hilary! Are you there?"

There was some shuffling in the background and the sound of books hitting the ground before,

"Yes? H-hello?"

The sleepy voice of the Hiwatari Mansion Head Maid came to the phone.

"Hilary can you do something real quick for me please? It's an emergency!"

That put the maid on alert, "Y-yes, sure Master Tala…but you don't have to shout"

It hadn't even registered to Tala that he'd been shouting. "Sorry about that, Hilary. Could you please check the security cameras for the ground floors?"

"Right away sir. One moment". There was a brief pause.

Moments later Hilary came back on the line sounding slightly amused, "Is there any reason why Kai is sleeping on the kitchen floor?"

Sure enough, on the marble tiles of the kitchen floor lay the soon-to-be-seven year old, Kai Hiwatari. All the lights of the kitchen had been turned on and there was water leaking out of the cooler.

Ozuma snickered at the sight. He moved to pick up the little boy.

"Hey, Tala, your brother probably thought that the private gallery was the fastest way to the kitchen…" Ozuma recoiled from Kai's body like he'd been bitten by a snake.

Tala, catching the swift movement, rushed over to investigate. "What's wrong, Oozi?"

"This kid's skin feels like he was out at the fucking North Pole".

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Kai awoke to blinding sunlight. He tried using his hand to shield his eyes but found that it wouldn't move. It felt numb. In fact, his _whole _body felt numb. There were pinpricks of ice running up and down his arms; similar to the sensation one gets when a limb falls asleep. Something was pressing down on his chest but he couldn't move enough to feel for it.

Despite the pain it caused, the young Hiwatari forced his head to move enough to see his chest. He saw where the pressure was coming from. Dead center on his torso was the corpse of a baby boy –blue skin and glazed eyes –identical to the one in his dreams.

Kai gathered up all his remaining strength and concentrated on getting the dead child off his chest. With all his might Kai pushed…and succeeded.

Upon striking the ground, the baby boy began to _scream. _It screamed and it screamed. A horrible shrieking that made his bed to shake.

The vibrations caused a flowerpot from the shelf above to come crashing down on Kai's head. Fortunately, it knocked him out instantly.

When Kai regained consciousness, he found that he could still hear the screaming.

_IT's still here? _He thought frantically, but stopped when he saw that he was alone in the room. There was no dead baby lying on the floor, bawling its dead brains out. The noise had all been in his head. Even so, both his arms were shaking badly.

"Kai! Are you alright? You're bleeding". It was Hilary.

Kai snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the familiar voice. He hadn't even noticed her sitting there by the window. He touched the cut on his head tentatively, mystified as to how it got there.

_He must still be in shock, _Hilary concluded.

"Kai…" she said softly.

"Don't you worry about me, Hil, it was all just a dream".

Hilary gave him a funny look. He sounded delirious.

"What are you talking about Kai? Do you know where you are? Do you know who I am? Do –"

"Yes I know who you are Hilary. And yes I know where I am…I'm in a hospital", Kai snapped. There was a short silence then, "Hey…uhh...Hils? Why am I in a hospital?"

The Head Maid put a hand to her heart as a sign of relief. He was back to his moody self. "You had a-an accident back at the mansion. Don't you remember what happened?"

"Not really". He looked left and right searching for any sign of his older brother. "So… what exactly is wrong with me? And where's Tala?"

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The downtown of any city is always the liveliest. All the clubs, major businesses and latest forms of entertainment reside there. Stores shut down, new ones open in its place, people get into parties, bouncers throw people out; just busy, busy, busy. In a way, downtown can be considered the heart of any city. Roads are the veins leading to it and cars are the blood vessels carrying the nutritious humans inside them. The beat of its nightlife lets the rest of the metropolis know that it is still breathing, still very much alive.

On the corner of Dragoon and Wolborg Street, a blood vessel was rushing a little too fast to get to the heart…

"You know your driving like twenty past the speed limit right, Tala?"

The redhead shifted in his seat, slightly agitated.

"I know but the sooner we get to the mayor's office, the sooner I can visit my baby brother"

Ozuma crossed his arms and looked out the passenger window, on the watch for any police cars. Those suckers thought they were so smart nowadays. Hiding in alleyways and side streets, anyplace not clearly visible from the roadside. Then, when you least expected it –like when you're trying to get your wife to the delivery room before she gives birth in your car or when your roommate just informs you on your cell that he intends to sell your house –the black-and-whites decide to pounce.

With the way everything was going so far, the last thing they needed was for anything to get in the path of their destination –

Which was halfway across town on the top floor of City Hall. They were headed to the office of Mayor Dickenson, the hotshot, the main-man, the big cheese. The building itself was impressive just to _look _at. Hundreds of mirrors decorated its external structure, doubling as windows from the inside out. However, due to the unconventionality of this design, sunlight was often reflected into the eyes of city drivers.

And on that chilly autumn day, a beam of light just so happened to hit Tala in one of his. He immediately panicked when the road changed from stone gray to a blinding white –and let go of the steering wheel. The BMW swerved diagonally towards the pedestrian crossing. Tala slammed on the brakes as hard as he could to avoid hitting an old man and a child.

The BMW skidded to a halt a mere inch from the pedestrians' feet. The old man cleared some of the smoke away with his frail hands. He peeped into the vehicle to check on his would-be murderers.

"He-hello? Are you boys alright in there?"

Ozuma groaned and held his head between his palms.

"Yeah…we're okay".

"Well your friend over there sure doesn't look like he's okay"

"Oh, you mean Tala?"

Ozuma turned towards the redhead only to find him staring intently at the child beside the old man.

"He looks to be about my brother's age. How old is he?" Tala asked pointing to the little boy.

"About five-years old. He's my grandson. Raised him ma-self matter-of-fact. "

"Oh shit", Tala cursed. He extended his hand and attempted to bow, as a sign of apology.

"Umm well my name is Tala and this is my boy –uh best friend, Ozuma".

He then dug into his jacket for a pen and paper. After scribbling down his info, Tala handed the piece of paper to the old man. "This is my personal information. I'm truly sorry for what happened –er… _almost _happened. You can contact me on the number there so we can discuss how to further handle this situation, okay?"

The grandfather looked down. He seemed at a loss for words as he read over the slip of paper. He lifted his head to thank the young man but he had already driven off. "Thank you, Mr. Hiwatari", he whispered. From his left side, the old man felt a very small tug on his sleeve.

"Grandpa? Did we almost die again?"

The old man looked at his grandson and put a wrinkled hand on his mass of blue hair. He thought about going to the nearest department store and buying the boy a hat. A loud chuckle escaped his throat. "Yes Tyson, yes. We _did _almost die again".

Young Tyson rolled the idea around in his mind for a couple seconds but almost dying didn't seem to hold as much importance in his head as…

"Uhh…Grandpa? Can I get a hotdog now?"

…Satisfying his own hunger.

The old man blinked slowly. His five-year-old grandson ate like he had a bottomless pit for a stomach.

"Yes Tyson, yes. We'll go get that hotdog, now".

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Ozuma's brows creased in worry. His hands clutched the steering wheel as he glanced over at his best friend. Although the redhead kept a neutral expression on his face, Ozuma was aware of the trembling in the boy's fingers.

"Tala –", He started but was cut short.

"I'm okay".

Sensing the older boy's 'your-only-telling-me-this-so-that-I-won't-pry-any-further-but-I-know-you're-lying' glare, he tried to reassure him, "No, really, I'm okay. Its just shock, that's all. That kid was so young…it coulda been my little brother out there instead, ya know?"

Truthfully Ozuma didn't wholly comprehend his best friend's feelings. He had only one sibling –an older sister –and she hadn't been around much anyways. He always had to watch out for himself. However when he met Tala…

Ozuma had a slight mental jolt. _You know,_ _I worry about Tala the same way he worries about his kid brother. I may not show it as often but if anything were to happen to him…_

Ozuma sought out one of Tala's shaking hands and grasped it firmly. The older boy felt some of his worry subside when he received a squeeze in return. Tala sighed and turned to look out his window. They stayed that way for the rest of the drive.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

The entrance of City Hall gave it the air of a major hotel rather than a typical government building. Red carpet peaked out of its front doors and two well-dressed men stood by them. As Ozuma parked the BMW, the shorter of the two doormen moved from his post. His lilac-coloured eyebrows pinched together in annoyance as he spoke.

"I'm afraid you can't leave your car there, sir".

'Sir' was said with heavy sarcasm. It was ridiculous that he was to address a _child_ with that respectful title.

"Oh, but your job is to move it regardless of where I park is it not?" The older teen spat back, matching the man's contemptuous attitude.

The man's hands balled into fists. "Why you little –"

"That's enough Bryan!"

All three parties turned to look at the man who had barked the order. He was tall, slim and had long azure-coloured hair tied back neatly in a ponytail.

"The Mayor is expecting these two. They are our guests", he hissed at Bryan.

Then to Tala and Ozuma he said, "I sincerely apologize for my partner's behavior. The Mayor is waiting for you two in his office. You may go straight up. By the way, my name is Hiroshi, but call me Hiro, and this angry guy here is Bryan".

Ozuma stepped forward and shook Hiro's hand. "Well, I'm Ozuma and this shy guy here is Tala".

Hiro blinked twice. "I know all about Tala but I must say I've never heard of you…mister…uh…Ozuma. What is your relation to the young heir exactly?"

_The young heir?_ Bryan thought, perplexed.

"I'm his best friend", Ozuma beamed proudly.

Hiro looked at Tala, looked at Ozuma, then back at Tala again. The smile he gave showed telltale signs of a recently acquired secret. It made both the teens feel a little uneasy.

The smile widened as he said, "Well, I don't believe there's any reason to speak of this incident to our superior –"

Tala cut in, "Your secret is safe with us. Don't worry". He did a fake salute for emphasis.

Hiro laughed but returned the gesture. "That's good to hear, soldier".

Then he added, "Dismissed!" for good measure.

"What was _that_ all about?" Ozuma whispered as they entered the City Hall lobby.

"Nothing to lose any sleep over"

"Seriously though…does he know about us or something?"

Tala punched his best friend lightly in the arm. "I said it's nothing to worry about. God!"

Hiro smirked as he witnessed the exchange between the two. Their feelings for each other were so obvious, like it was painted all over both their faces.

"So Hiro, you gonna tell me what's important about those kids?"

Hiro wiped a hand across his face, exasperated, "Don't tell me you don't know who that boy is?"

The response was an expression of utter cluelessness. The taller man sighed.

"The redhead is the next in line for the Hiwatari franchise"

Bryan's mouth could only hang open stupidly. Hiro nodded as though the look was a question in itself asking, "For real?"

"That _kid _is the Hiwatari heir".

Bryan shook his head back and forth slowly. "What is this world coming to?"

Hiro glanced at the BMW license plate and mimicked his partner in silent agreement.

Right above where the plate's city of origin twinkled in orange font was:**IMRCHBTCH**

**-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-**

**So that is it :)**

******For those of you who don't know what 'IMRCHBTCH' stands for it's a silly license plate gag that means, "I'm rich bitch". Haha. For those of you have ever watched The Chapelle Show, you'll know what I mean. For those who haven't its ok. It isn't the end of the world hehe. So yeah that's the end of that chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

******T-Bisqit**


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